If you’re driving around your neighbourhood and spot a billboard advertising the latest eyewear or sunglasses you often see an A-list celebrity wearing these cool shades and you’ll think that you probably need to get a pair because you think it will make you look cooler.

It’s very rare that we think a pair of sunglasses is necessary to protect our eyes from harmful UV rays and it’s even rarer that we think kids would need it more than we do. But the truth is a pair of sunglasses is more important for our eyesight than our “street cred” and our children deserve it as much as we do.

Protecting your kids from harmful rays

Scientists have long been studying the effects of different kinds of light on a human’s eyes and they discovered that UV rays are much more dangerous to kids than adults because of their eyes are not as efficient as an adult when it comes to filtering high-energy rays.

UV rays are both dangerous to adults and kids because it can cause cataracts when an individual is exposed to high amounts of it for a long period of time. It’s important to note that since children spend more time outdoors playing in parks or at the schoolyard they’re more prone to developing this disease later on if they’re not provided with proper care.

But even if your child stays indoors more than outside there’s still the risk of him/her developing problems with his/her eyesight due to another harmful ray – Blue Light.

Blue Light, or what scientists refer to as high-energy visible light (HEV), is the kind of light that comes from gadgets and artificial light and this ray is just as harmful as UV rays if you’re exposed to it for long periods of time.

Blue Light can come from light bulbs, smart phones and computer screens and according to scientists this ray can lead to macular degeneration if the person is exposed to it consistently without the proper protection.

For those who are unaware, macular degeneration is the deterioration of the pigmented area, which is located at the centre of the retina.

This part of the eye is responsible for helping us fine-tune our vision so we can recognize shapes and other details of the world with more accuracy. Whenever we look at someone’s face and we recognize them due to the shape of their head, eyes, mouth, jaws and ears it’s because our macula is helping us recognize the details of what we see.

It also helps us figure out the shapes in a book or an eye chart so we can distinguish is a letter is an “a” or an “e.” When macular degeneration occurs all we see in front of us are blurred images making it nearly impossible for us to distinguish what exactly we are looking at.

Although, macular degeneration is often caused by hereditary problems and even smoking some scientists are discovering that prolonged exposure to Blue Light can also lead to the progression of this disease.

Kids these days spend an inordinate amount of time staring at their tablets or computers playing their favourite video games or simply browsing the internet and the Blue Light that they’re exposed to is unhealthy enough to cause severe eyesight problems as they grow older.

Fortunately, eyewear today has progressed immensely that there are lenses that can protect children’s eyes from both UV rays and Blue Light. There are even glasses that have sturdy frames, which mean that even if your little toddler is prone to hurling anything within her reach the glasses she wears to protect her eyes from harmful rays won’t break easily.

As a parent you’re always concerned that your child doesn’t get too attached with his/her gadgets for fear that he/she might not get enough chances to interact with other people in the real world. But there are good things that come from having a huge interest with modern technology.

Just look at Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, their success was all because they loved tinkering with gadgets and learning about technological trends.

So, like it or not, technology has certainly changed how our children interact with the world. Fortunately, not everything about modern technology is bad for our kids and listed below are some of the good, and bad, things about technology affecting our children.

The Positive Side

 Let’s start with the good aspects of technology and you might be surprised to see that there are so many great ways that modern technology can help our kids, not just in school but also in their lives.

1. Technology speeds up and enriches the learning process. Studies have shown that children who have access to technology are more engrossed in the learning material and can easily absorb information. It is an excellent motivational tool for learning as it makes it easier for children to accomplish assignments as typing is easier than writing.

2. Technology helps with communication and socialization. It helps children interact with a diverse group of people through the Internet. Children can easily find other kids who share their interests onlin

3. Technology helps kids to be more creative. It provides children the tools to exercise their creativity. There are informational resources available online for arts, crafts, design, music and other hobbies. Technology also assists children when it comes to satisfying their curiosity and learning useful information beyond the usual sources.

4. Gaming technology helps children improve their motor skills and other sensory functions. It also aids in cognitive development through reasoning, logic, problem-solving and more.

5. Technology also equips children to be more adept in the corporate world because it provides them with the tools they will need in their future work environment.

The Negative Side

Now, we list the side of technology that can be bad for your kids. But you should know that as a parent, you can always guide your kids and help them steer clear from the negative aspects of modern technology.

1. It alters the way children think.  According to some experts, kids who spend hours playing video games get addicted to this pastime because their brains release dopamine, which is a pleasure chemical, while they progress through the games. Getting a rush from the dopamine motivates children to play even longer with their games, which is a bit like being addicted to a certain substance.  

2. It affects their health. Exposure to electronic gadgets is sometimes blamed by health professionals for the rise in diabetes and obesity among children. Children who spend hours in front of a laptop or gaming console lack a proper amount of exercise, which can cause severe health risks, such as cardiovascular diseases or muscle atrophy. In addition, several studies point out other health problems when children are overexposed to technology. These include poor eyesight and debilitating back pains.  

3. Promotes negative psychological health.  While it helps children develop social skills and improve interpersonal relationships, it is not comparable to social skills and interpersonal relationships developed through traditional ways. Also, playing violent video games often desensitize children, which could result in them lacking empathy for other people.

4. Technology has all caused children’s safety and privacy at risk.  By sharing their personal information publicly, they are vulnerable to sex offenders who can easily find victims just by looking at their personal information online.  In addition, bullying has been expanded in the virtual world as it is easy to be anonymous over the Internet.

5. Exposure to inappropriate content becomes possible despite age restrictions. Children can manipulate personal information in order to access sexual and violent content.  Aside from that, spam mails and links which contain unsuitable contents can become a free gateway by which unwanted computer visitors (hackers) can gain entry to your system when children click or view them because of curiosity.

Technology makes life easier and much more interesting. Children can learn many things with technology, but it’s up to you to guide them and help them manage their time interacting with their gadgets.

Technology can teach kids a lot of things but it should never replace learning from the real world. And you can teach them that though an iPhone can show them lots of interesting things online the world outside has even more beautiful things in store for them.